Space Race Heats Up: Russia’s 21-Satellite Launch, Amazon’s $140 M Bet, and a New Artemis Ally
Russian Soyuz Lofts Space Weather Fleet and Iranian Satellite
Vostochny, Russia (July 25) – Russia kicked off the day with a blockbuster launch, as a Soyuz-2.1b rocket carried 21 satellites into orbit in a single mission space.com. Liftoff from Siberia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome at 1:54 a.m. ET (0554 GMT) delivered two Ionosfera-M space weather satellites alongside an Iranian communications satellite, “Nahid-2,” and 18 smaller rideshare payloads space.com. The twin Ionosfera probes will monitor Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere to study how solar activity impacts radio communications and satellite systems space.com. The quartet of Ionosfera satellites (the first two launched in late 2024) will now provide three-dimensional coverage of near-Earth space, tracking solar wind effects that can disrupt civilian and military technology space.com space.com.
Roscosmos broadcast the launch live up to booster separation, and early indications showed a flawless ascent space.com. The mission also underscores Russia’s growing space ties with Iran – Nahid-2 is Tehran’s latest satellite to reach orbit with Moscow’s help space.com. If all payload deployments are confirmed, this ambitious “rideshare” launch by GK Launch Services marks one of Russia’s largest collective orbital deliveries in years. It comes as Russia pushes to maintain its launch cadence and international partnerships despite geopolitical tensions. Space analysts note that the Ionosfera project aims to better predict “space weather” disturbances space.com, a capability prized for protecting power grids and spacecraft on Earth. With this successful morning launch, Russia’s space program asserts its presence by packing scientific, commercial, and international payloads into one heavy-lift mission.
Amazon Invests $140 Million to Speed Up Project Kuiper Launches
Cape Canaveral, FL (July 24) – Amazon is doubling down on the Space Coast in a big bet to outpace SpaceX’s Starlink. The tech giant revealed a $139.5 million investment in new Florida facilities to support Project Kuiper, its 3,236-satellite broadband constellation spaceflightnow.com spaceflightnow.com. The crown jewel is a brand-new 100,000 sq. ft. payload processing facility at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) that opened in April, just in time for Kuiper’s first operational launch spaceflightnow.com. Amazon confirmed on Thursday that this large facility – previously hinted at in photos – is now fully online to fuel, test, and integrate dozens of Kuiper satellites for each launch spaceflightnow.com spaceflightnow.com. “There is no better place than Florida’s Space Coast to fulfill Kuiper’s promise to bring broadband to unserved and underserved communities across the nation and world,” said Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president of public policy, adding that the company is proud to invest in Florida’s space economy spaceflightnow.com.
Inside the facility, Amazon can simultaneously prep three rockets’ worth of Kuiper satellites, aiming for a “rhythm” of rapid deployments spaceflightnow.com spaceflightnow.com. At full tilt, the complex will handle over 100 satellites per month and support three parallel launch campaigns, Amazon says spaceflightnow.com. This capacity is needed – Amazon has inked deals for 80+ rocket launches to deploy Kuiper. Those include 38 launches on ULA’s upcoming Vulcan Centaur, 9 on Atlas V, plus missions on SpaceX Falcon 9 and Blue Origin’s New Glenn spaceflightnow.com. In fact, Amazon has already notched three Kuiper launches in under three months this spring and summer, including a batch of 24 satellites on a Falcon 9 just last week spaceflightnow.com spaceflightnow.com. “We’ve completed three missions in less than three months, and we’re continuing to pick up the pace as we prepare to begin delivering service to customers,” said Steve Metayer, VP of Kuiper production operations, highlighting that the Florida team is crucial to this effort spaceflightnow.com. The new investment underscores Amazon’s urgency to catch up with SpaceX’s head start in satellite internet. By ramping up its Florida footprint – from payload processing to its own dedicated launch pad in development – Amazon is laying the groundwork to launch “dozens of Kuiper satellites” per mission at a regular cadence spaceflightnow.com.
Senegal Signs Artemis Accords, Boosting Global Moon Coalition
Washington, D.C. (July 24) – The Artemis lunar exploration coalition gained a new partner as Senegal officially joined the Artemis Accords on Thursday nasa.gov. In an afternoon ceremony at NASA Headquarters, Senegal’s space agency chief Maram Kairé and Ambassador Abdoul Wahab Haidara signed the Accords, making Senegal the 56th country to commit to peaceful, transparent space cooperation under Artemis nasa.gov. NASA Chief of Staff Brian Hughes hosted the signing alongside U.S. State Department officials and the Senegalese delegation nasa.gov. The Artemis Accords, first introduced in 2020, establish a framework of principles for exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond – from sharing scientific data to using space resources responsibly nasa.gov. Senegal’s entry is significant as it expands African participation in Artemis; the West African nation joins Rwanda, Nigeria, and others who signed on in recent years to collaboratively develop lunar projects and science.
By signing, Senegal agrees to abide by norms like transparency in activities, interoperability, and registration of space objects, aligning its future space ambitions with the U.S.-led Moon program nasa.gov. The move was celebrated as a win–win: NASA gains another international partner endorsing its vision for a return to the Moon, while Senegal can access opportunities in space tech, education, and perhaps astronaut training through the Accord network. “Senegal is now part of this historic endeavor to explore the Moon and beyond together,” a NASA official noted, emphasizing the diversity of nations (now 56) united by these principles nasa.gov. The signing reflects a broader trend of new space entrants – especially emerging economies – seeking a seat at the table for humanity’s next chapter in space. As the Artemis Base Camp and lunar Gateway plans advance, Senegal’s collaboration may focus on areas like Earth observation or communication technologies, contributing to both its domestic goals and the multinational lunar infrastructure. The ever-growing list of Artemis Accord signatories sends a clear message: international consensus is building for peaceful exploration and the “rules of the road” as humankind reaches farther out nasa.gov.
Webb Telescope Uncovers Black Holes “Shredding” Stars in Dusty Galaxies
Cambridge, MA (July 24) – New findings from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are illuminating one of the cosmos’s most dramatic phenomena – black holes ripping stars apart – in places we couldn’t see them before. Astronomers using JWST reported observing several hidden “tidal disruption events” (TDEs) – a burst of light and dust that occurs when a dormant black hole suddenly devours a passing star news.mit.edu news.mit.edu. According to a study published today in Astrophysical Journal Letters, JWST’s infrared eyes peered through heavy dust in four galaxies and caught the aftermath of stars being torn to shreds by central black holes news.mit.edu news.mit.edu. This is the first time multiple TDEs have been confirmed in obscured, dust-rich galaxies – a discovery made possible by Webb’s sensitivity to mid-infrared heat signals news.mit.edu news.mit.edu. “Unlike active galaxies that constantly pull in material, these black holes lie dormant until a star passes by,” explains the MIT News release, describing how these usually quiet black holes “woke up” to feast on stars, then went dark again news.mit.edu news.mit.edu.
Astronomers have spotted only about 100 TDEs in the past (mostly in relatively clear galaxies via X-ray or optical telescopes) news.mit.edu. The new JWST observations suggest many more star-shredding events have been hiding behind veils of cosmic dust news.mit.edu. When a black hole destroys a star, much of the flash is in ultraviolet, which dust blocks. But JWST detected the telltale infrared glow of dust heated by the stellar death throes, essentially seeing the carnage in thermal “night vision” news.mit.edu. In the four galaxies studied, Webb found distinct infrared fingerprints – signs of black hole accretion flickering to life and then fading – confirming each had experienced a tidal disruption event news.mit.edu news.mit.edu. Notably, the patterns differed from those of constantly feeding (active) black holes, proving these were one-time stellar meals by otherwise inactive galactic cores news.mit.edu news.mit.edu. Scientists at MIT, Columbia University and elsewhere say this demonstrates JWST’s game-changing ability to uncover cosmic calamities that were invisible to previous observatories. With Webb’s data, researchers can better estimate how often stars fall prey to black holes and how those energetic flares contribute to galactic ecosystems. It’s a dramatic reminder that even in the darkest, dustiest corners of the universe, “JWST can open up hidden fireworks shows”, revealing brief cataclysms where a black hole’s dinner lights up an entire galaxy news.mit.edu news.mit.edu.
SpaceX Delivers NASA’s New Space Weather Mission, Readies Record Reuse Launch
California & Florida (July 24–25) – SpaceX’s launch manifest remains packed this week, juggling science and Starlinks with equal fervor. On Wednesday, July 23, a Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched NASA’s TRACERS mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California space.com. TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) is a pair of NASA small satellites now orbiting Earth in tandem to study how the solar wind sparks magnetic disturbances in our planet’s magnetosphere space.com. After a 24-hour weather delay, the Falcon 9 lifted off at 2:13 p.m. EDT, and its first stage executed a pinpoint landing back at Vandenberg ~8 minutes later space.com. The reusable booster – flying its 16th mission – helped deploy the twin TRACERS probes plus several rideshare payloads into a polar orbit space.com space.com. Scientists cheered as TRACERS began powering on; over the next two years the pair will measure magnetic reconnection events in Earth’s high-latitude magnetic fields, phenomena that trigger auroras and sometimes disrupt communications space.com space.com. This mission, led by the University of Iowa, will improve our ability to forecast “space weather” that can affect satellites and power grids. SpaceX’s timely delivery of TRACERS – coming just one day after an unrelated scrub due to a range power issue – highlights the launcher’s quick turnaround and reliability for government science missions spaceflightnow.com space.com.
Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, SpaceX is gearing up for yet another Starlink launch slated for the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, July 26. The company announced that a Falcon 9 will loft 28 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with the instantaneous launch window opening at 4:28 a.m. EDT Saturday clickorlando.com. If schedules hold, this mission will mark a major reusability milestone: the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster (serial B1067) is making its 22nd flight, extending its record as one of SpaceX’s most flown boosters clickorlando.com. In fact, SpaceX noted this veteran rocket is on track to become the first to log 30 launches within the year en.wikipedia.org clickorlando.com. The ability to refly boosters dozens of times has enabled SpaceX’s blistering cadence – News 6 Orlando reports this is already the company’s 50th launch of 2025, with many more to come. Saturday’s mission aims to deploy the Starlink “Group 10-26” batch into polar orbit, further expanding coverage in higher latitudes. Weather conditions on Florida’s Space Coast will be watched closely in the extended overnight window that runs until 8:28 a.m. EDT clickorlando.com. SpaceX will stream the launch live, as always, likely featuring spectacular shots of the rocket’s 22-time-flown sooty booster returning for another landing attempt. With back-to-back missions – lofting NASA science one day, then Starlink sats the next – SpaceX continues to demonstrate a new normal in orbital launch: rapid, routine, and reusable space.com clickorlando.com.
U.S. Space Force Revamps Units to Speed Satellite Defense Tech
Washington, D.C. (July 24) – This week the U.S. Space Force quietly rolled out organizational changes aimed at sharpening its space defense and acquisition efforts. The service stood up two new “mission deltas” (specialized units) focused on missile warning satellites and on space domain awareness (tracking objects in orbit) airandspaceforces.com. According to Gen. Michael Guetlein, head of Space Systems Command, the move “marks the next step in linking the teams that buy satellites with the ones that operate them,” ensuring new tech gets to warfighters faster airandspaceforces.com. By pairing acquisition experts and operators under the same delta, Space Force hopes to streamline the development, testing, and real-time use of military space assets. One delta will concentrate on overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) missile-warning constellations, which detect launches and provide early warning, while the other will handle space surveillance networks that monitor satellites and debris. This realignment, announced on July 23 and 24, reflects a broader strategy to integrate Space Force’s procurement and operational commands, breaking down silos that date back to the Air Force era airandspaceforces.com.
Defense space analysts note these changes come as the Pentagon races to field next-gen systems: new missile-warning satellites in diverse orbits to counter hypersonic threats, and improved space situational awareness tools as low Earth orbit gets increasingly crowded. In fact, senior officials warned this week that traditional space traffic tracking is under strain due to “growing numbers of smaller satellites… and growing threats” in orbit airandspaceforces.com. The Space Force is also pursuing novel approaches to space defense. On July 22, Gen. Guetlein – recently appointed to lead the experimental “Golden Dome” missile defense project – stated that orbiting interceptors for ballistic missiles, while technically challenging, are “not infeasible” airandspaceforces.com. Though still conceptual, his comments signal that space-based missile defense concepts are getting serious consideration at high levels. Additionally, the Space Force and Congress are grappling with how to expand launch infrastructure to handle surging demand from both military and commercial sectors airandspaceforces.com. All these developments underscore an accelerating push by the Space Force to protect U.S. interests in space – from securing resilient satellite communications and GPS, to developing ways to neutralize hostile missiles or spacecraft. As one official put it, the goal is to “ensure our guardians can quickly field and fly the cutting-edge systems needed for the contested space domain” airandspaceforces.com.
China Charts Deep-Space Ambitions as Launch Activity Stays Hot
Beijing, China (July 24) – China used the occasion of its biennial Zhuhai Airshow and press briefings this week to signal bold new deep-space exploration goals, on top of an already busy 2025 in orbit. In an interview published Thursday by China Daily, senior space scientists outlined plans for a Mars sample-return mission, a mission to Jupiter’s moons, and even an orbiter to Neptune in the 2030sen.people.cnen.people.cn. Yang Mengfei, a chief designer of China’s Chang’e-5 lunar mission, said the nation is essentially ready – thanks to progress in nuclear-powered propulsion – to conduct orbital missions to the ice giant planets and aims to be the first to orbit oneen.people.cnen.people.cn. He advocated for China to launch a dedicated Neptune explorer by 2033, after it executes the planned Jupiter system mission later this decadeen.people.cn. Only NASA’s Voyager 2 has ever visited Uranus and Neptune (brief flybys in the 1980s)en.people.cn, so Chinese space officials see a historic opportunity to lead in exploring these distant worlds. The ambition extends to seeking signs of life: another Chinese scientist, Wang Chi, noted that probing Neptune’s moon Triton – suspected to harbor an ocean – could yield insights on extraterrestrial habitabilityen.people.cnen.people.cn. These announcements underscore how China’s space program is shifting into high gear on planetary science, not just human spaceflight. Already, China is developing a complex Mars sample-return mission for as early as 2030, aiming to bring Mars rocks to Earth (potentially ahead of NASA’s similar campaign)en.people.cn.
On the home front, China’s operational space activities saw steady progress through July. The Tiangong space station welcomed its ninth cargo resupply ship (Tianzhou-9) earlier in the month, keeping three astronauts well-stocked with experiments and supplies space.com. And despite a slow start this year, Chinese launch cadence is accelerating: state media report at least a half-dozen launches so far in 2025, including the maiden flight of the Long March 8A rocket – an upgraded booster that increases China’s lift capacity to orbit payloadspace.com. More commercial launch startups are debuting vehicles as well, from CAS Space’s Lijian-2 to LandSpace’s methane-fueled Zhuque-2 series payloadspace.com. This growing launch capacity will support China’s planned “Thousand Sails” and “Guowang” low-orbit satellite constellations, envisioned as domestic rivals to SpaceX’s Starlink network payloadspace.com. Internationally, China continues to forge space partnerships across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, offering satellites, ground stations, and training payloadspace.com. (Notably, while Senegal was signing onto the U.S.-led Artemis Accords in Washington, Beijing has over 20 bilateral space cooperation agreements in Africa payloadspace.com.) All told, the end of this week finds China’s space program busily executing near-term missions while telegraphing its aspiration to venture farther – to Mars, Jupiter, and the edges of the solar system – in the next decadeen.people.cnen.people.cn. The message: China intends to be a major player in every arena of space exploration, from low-Earth orbit to the deep unknown.
Australia Poised for First-Ever Homegrown Orbital Rocket Launch
Bowen, Australia (July 25) – In a historic moment Down Under, Australia is counting down to its first orbital launch attempt by an Australian-made rocket. Startup Gilmour Space Technologies is set to launch its Eris rocket on a test flight from the country’s new Bowen Spaceport in Queensland, with a launch window opening July 26 en.wikipedia.org. Uniquely, the only “passenger” on this maiden flight will be a jar of Vegemite – a playful choice of dummy payload symbolizing Australian pride phys.org. The three-stage Eris launcher stands 23 meters tall and is designed to deliver small satellites to low Earth orbit in the future phys.org phys.org. Gilmour’s team secured final regulatory approvals and say they’re ready to ignite the rocket’s hybrid engine (which uses a mix of solid fuel and liquid oxidizer) for a suborbital hop or orbital attempt as early as Saturday, local time phys.org phys.org. “If it actually orbits Earth, I’d probably have a heart attack… we’ll be happy if it just gets off the pad for 20–30 seconds,” quipped CEO Adam Gilmour phys.org, tempering expectations for a test flight where collecting data is the main goal.
This launch has been eagerly awaited, after an initial attempt in May was scrubbed due to a technical glitch with the payload fairing space.com. It represents the first all-Australian orbital launch effort – the rocket is domestically designed and built, and even the tropical launch site at Abbot Point, Bowen is a new construction by Gilmour Space phys.org phys.org. Success would make Australia the 12th nation capable of launching to orbit from its own soil phys.org. Even partial success will be celebrated: “This is the first time an Australian company has done the design, build, and the launch site – we’ve done everything,” Gilmour noted, calling the attempt itself a huge milestone phys.org. The test payload Vegemite jar (an iconic spread for Aussies’ morning toast) underscores that this mission is as much a proof-of-concept as it is a patriotic moment phys.org phys.org. The broader plan: Gilmour aims to start commercial satellite launch services by 2026, tapping into the booming smallsat market phys.org. Australia’s government and space community are watching closely, as a successful Eris launch would kickstart a domestic launch industry and enhance Australia’s role in the global space sector. Weather permitting, all eyes in Bowen will be on the pad this weekend as Australia attempts to join the orbital club – Vegemite and all phys.org phys.org.
Sources: Russian launch details from Space.com space.com space.com; Amazon Kuiper facility news via Spaceflight Now spaceflightnow.com spaceflightnow.com; Senegal Artemis Accords signing via NASA nasa.gov nasa.gov; JWST TDE discovery reported by MIT News news.mit.edu news.mit.edu; SpaceX TRACERS launch from Space.com space.com space.com and Starlink launch plans via ClickOrlando News 6 clickorlando.com clickorlando.com; Space Force developments from Air & Space Forces Magazine airandspaceforces.com airandspaceforces.com; China deep-space plans from People’s Daily/China Dailyen.people.cnen.people.cn; Gilmour Space launch plans via AFP/Phys.org phys.org phys.org. Each development on July 24–25, 2025 highlights the fast-paced and global nature of today’s space industry, where government and private players alike are making giant leaps – from the Earth’s ionosphere to the edge of the solar system. space.com nasa.gov
